title: Patient and physician roles in end-of-life decision making. End-of-Life Study Group.
abstract: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive survey of randomly selected primary care patients and physicians regarding patient, physician, and family roles in end-of-life decision making. The subjects included 329 adult outpatients and 272 practicing physicians. Physicians were more likely than patients to believe the patient alone was responsible for making end-of-life decisions. Patients were more likely than physicians to believe the physician should provide a recommendation in addition to facts to help the patient make end-of-life decisions. We conclude that patients prefer a more active role for physicians in both decision making and discussion of end-of-life care than do physicians themselves.
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 67214-3199, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States